| Author | Message | ||
     Busterx |
So I stopped at a HD/Buell dealer in Central NY (Syr.) today. Of course they only had a Blast left and some clothes. But what shocked me was, Where the Buells were that space is now filled with scooters, Yes I said scooters, An aray of pastel colored POS scooters, They even had a pink one there! Who's the pretty princess Harley rider that is going to sport that down the road. WTF HD? Dump Buell to put pretty girly tampon gettin ricers there. Get a grip HD!! PS No offence to the girls. Buell and HD girls would have pushed them over | ||
| Augustus74 |
My local HD dealer has been selling scooters for like 2 years now! | ||
| Sgtd1125cr |
I should have figured that out myself when my dealer started with them about 8 months ago. | ||
| Pattio |
You didn't mention what brand the scooters were so I'm not sure what you mean by POS. There are a lot of different brands of scooters out there- the market was saturated with new brands imported cheaply from China over the last five years, and now the scooter market is in a process of winnowing out the crap brands. One brand that has made a concerted effort to place themselves in HD dealerships is the Genuine Scooter Company, which is an American company headquartered in Chicago which imports scooters from Taiwan (not China) and they are of very good quality. Like any motor vehicle, it is important to be able to buy a quality product from a quality dealer in order to have a good result. The Genuine Scooter Company has tried hard to put their products into HD dealers, because these businesses are well-established and professionally run, compared to the corner startups and fly-by-nights where they are commonly found. Your post appears to underscore one potential drawback to marketing scooters out of HD dealerships, though, which is that some of the existing clientele have a lot of machismo and personal identity tied up in their big motorcycles, so instead of seeing a small, useful, charming piece of short-distance transportation, or a new vehicle to draw in new (and young) riders, instead explode into a macho display about 'pieces of s**t', 'princesses', and threats to kick the bike over. This is hardly surprising, considering how much time and energy has been spent convincing HD customers that riding is not transportation (or even fun), but is actually an us-vs-them battle for machismo. There are some folks out there who think their motorcycle makes them a tough guy. There are others just looking for a fun and quality experience. I know more than one rider who has both bikes and scooters in their garage, and I can say from experience that riding a pink scooter is actually a pretty good way of showing the world that you are confident in yourself. Another thing I can say from experience- If you like to ride, and ride hard- really challenge corners and push your limits- you will enjoy riding a scooter. You can howl into a corner at full throttle with the bike shaking beneath you, and not actually be breaking the speed limit. I can't do the same with my 1125 on the street, and if I tried I could end up dead or without a license. If you like to ride, and don't need the vehicle as a prop to show others you are a tough guy, you owe it to yourself to take a look at scooters in that light. You may also want to consider it a good thing that your dealer is willing to try something new rather than the same old head-up-the-butt tough guy stuff, even though you and I both wish he still had the Buells there. | ||
| T_man |
Scooters are for girls. There I said it. PS. I'm just kidding. PPS. But am I?  | ||
| Ulynut |
Here's a scooter I would consider. Although it IS made in China. http://www.peirspeed.com/madass125.htm | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Here's a scooter I would consider. Although it IS made in China. fuel in frame? aggressive streetfighter? Sounds familiar.} | ||
| Slaughter |
Scooters are for MEN who are secure in their manliness:   It is those low-seated Hardleys that are for girlies (and those men whose feet can't seem to find the ground after the second or third stop on HOG rides) | ||
| Mndwgz |
It's a chick magnet too!  | ||
| A10tankkill |
Ah, pink scooter shows your comfortable with yourself? Well, ahh, hmmm, nah. Spilling a beer on your crotch at a bar and not hiding in a corner until it's dry, yea, that shows confidence. Pink shirts, ties, and scooters may just say you like to pretend you are confident with yourself, but really have some personal issues that you should see a shrink about, soon. Relax, relax! Just kidding! Well maybe.   | ||
| Porky |
As a change of pace, ride a Yamaha T-max 500 or a Suzuki Burgman 650, both with twin cyl w/c engines, fuel injection, two disk front brakes and one disk rear, CVT trans, trip computers, big 15 inch rims (T-max) and the ability to cruise easily at 100 mph and top 115 to 120 mph. Great fairing and storage and fun to ride. Very big following all over the world. There has been many a sportbike rider and especially cruiser riders humbled by these scooters, in the hands of a capable rider. I've had two 650 burgies and have an 09 T-max currently plus the new CR1125, HD 883R and a new 2010 Triumph scrambler and all add a little spice to life! I was at my HD dealer yesterday and business was booming. They sold 24 bikes last week. All the Buells are sold out. No scooters on the floor. Sam | ||
| Brumbear |
everyones doin it   | ||
| Oldog |
BlubbBlubbBlubbBlubbBlubbBlubbBaaarrrraaaaaapppph Fags.... | ||
| Tbolt98 |
The Dealership in Syracuse BusterX was speaking of is selling Vespas, they were encroaching on my 1125R before I saved her! | ||
| Nik |
Scooters and cruisers are a similar market. A lot of style over substance, and marketing to the 'lifestyle.' ring dingdingdingdingdingggggg... | ||
| Justa4banger |
I dig the MADASS Bike... i recently saw one here in Colombia and thought it would cool for around town and a pit ride for the track.... Hell change the tires to some dirt tread and it could be a hoot on the dirt... | ||
| Pattio |
"Scooters and cruisers are a similar market. A lot of style over substance, and marketing to the 'lifestyle.'" That's absolutely true. Scooters and cruisers are often first purchases, based on what people think they like, rather than what they know from experience. Part of the reason why Vespa brand scooters (and HDs) sell so well is that people look at the high price and the brand name as proof that they couldn't possibly have made a poor choice... My personal belief is that selling scooters out of HD dealers is a flawed strategy for a variety of reasons, but I certainly respect the dealers out there who are trying whatever they can to have a successful business. An HD dealer willing to try and sell the things at least proves they're not completely indoctrinated into the 'there's only one kind of vehicle (brand or configuration) in the world' mentality. | ||
| Xnoahx |
My dealer started carrying the Genuine scooters last month. Fun little machines. We see guys thinking of getting one for the wife. The scooter market is bigger than its ever been. Since no one was buying Buells, may as well get something thats going to sell. | ||
| Palmer |
chinese scooter? WTF?!!? scooter is a good way to live the city. But do me a favor, buy a VESPA a Gilera GP800, an MP3-- sachs MADASS?!? In italy we produced such things 15 years ago.. the malaguti fifty top, whic wasn't madass but BADASS!!  chinese and japanese scooters in HD dealerships. Crap. World is collapsing! In fact 2012 isn't too far. | ||
| Jammin_joules |
Dealers can sell snowmobiles, snow blowers, scooters, John Deere tractors, what ever. They are independent businesses that sign an operating agreement with H-D. H-D can not dictate, nor prevent them from selling scooters, Chinese motorcycles or Buells. | ||
| Palmer |
Genuine Scooter Company, which is an American company headquartered in Chicago which imports scooters from Taiwan (not China) and they are of very good quality. haha! that's a really funny statement. In Italy we have maybe the biggest tradition in the market of scooter, and let me tell you thi genuine scooter company has chinese-walmart-quality. The first pic in their home page is a Vespa! haha! Quality is something really different. I spell it t-max, MP3, Vespa. But as far as I remember, there was a genius who wanted to produce scooter with the brand of MV Augusta? probably the CEO of HD. ah! uh! D'oh! they sell it. | ||
| Romano |
I own a CR1125 and a SIM HD200 Scooter and love them both for different reasons. The HD200 is an awesome scooter that you must ride to believe. It will do 110KPH on the highway 2 up all day in total comfort. It has storage for a weeks shopping too. The quality and finish is first class. Romano | ||
| Pattio |
"Genuine Scooter Company, which is an American company headquartered in Chicago which imports scooters from Taiwan (not China) and they are of very good quality. haha! that's a really funny statement. In Italy we have maybe the biggest tradition in the market of scooter, and let me tell you thi genuine scooter company has chinese-walmart-quality. The first pic in their home page is a Vespa! haha! Quality is something really different. I spell it t-max, MP3, Vespa. " Hello Palmer: The scooter that looks to you like a Vespa on the Genuine webpage is what they call the Stella. It is an LML made in India, and it is nut-for-bolt the same as a Vespa PX150, but obviously much less expensive. I did not think that the Genuine Scooter Co of America sold bikes in Italy. Most of their scooters are made by PGO of Taiwan, so I thought in your country they would be sold by PGO. I have great respect for your national pride- I am the owner of a Vespa GS 150, GS 160 mk1, GS 160 mk 2, SS180, Rally 180, Rally 200, Innocenti Lambretta li150 and tv175 ser2, as well as others. No modern plastic scooter from any country, including the latest Piaggios, deserve to be compared to these metal classics. So I say to you with respect, your assertion that PGO scooters from Taiwan are 'Walmart Chinese quality' is wrong, because I am a dealer and I have to repair these things. I know what I say because I touch them with wrenches. Piaggio makes the worlds finest scooters, of this there needs to be no argument. But PGO scooters belong on the same shelf with KYMCO and Yamaha and Honda, of this I have no doubt. Thank you for writing from Italy. Not many Americans really know about these things. | ||
| Doctorneon |
Among my collection of bikes I have and regularly ride a 1964 vespa GS 160, complete with 6 volt pornographic horn(you have to here it to understand). But then again Italian scooters that shift are cool. So says I.  | ||
| Fmaxwell |
I think that the dealer was just relieved to find something slower than a Harley that was actually classified as a motorcycle by the DMV. | ||
| Gman5700 |
Amen to that fmaxwell. I used to give the HD guys a lil reprieve and pass them easy but now when i see one ahead of me they're not there long. Screw HD!!! | ||
| Crswede |
Apart from the price, is there a difference between a H-D and a Chinese Scooter ? | ||
| Fmaxwell |
Crswede asked: Apart from the price, is there a difference between a H-D and a Chinese Scooter ? Yeah; the guy on the scooter isn't trying to use his bike to compensate for his "shortcomings."} | ||
| Jonesz0003 |
Yea there is a difference, i have a 2009 1125R and love it and yea im pissed at harley to but there is alot more to letting buell go then we will ever unbderstand. I have 2 harleys that i love and i have never had ne problem with and one has well over 50,000 miles on it and my dads has 75,000 miles on it and its on 06 harley, so they do make good bikes people, these arent the harleys from the 60s and 70s that break every 1000 miles Gman5700 watch out cause not are harleys are slow just remember that before you piss one of those guys off and the catch up to you. | ||
| Court |
Buy a REAL scooter . . . . every single part . . MADE IN USA.  |
